Haworth Village Trust will write to the planning office with its opinion of the development of the former village first school.

The trust held a public meeting on Monday to discuss the redevelopment of the old school and the adjoining community centre.

M P Burke Properties is proposing to transform the school into 18 apartments.

Two new buildings would create a further six flats -- five in one building and one in the other.

Chairman Nigel Ward said: "It was a useful meeting. We have to write to the planning office with our views."

Trust member Councillor Glen Miller said: "The developer is having a very sympathetic approach with the building. He is working with all the respective organisations.

"Obviously, the overall project is large, but any regeneration of the community site and the opening up to Butt Lane will lead to the general regeneration of the area."

Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury parish councillor Ian Palmer will write to planning officers with the trust's concerns.

He said the general feeling of the meeting was positive about the development of the school buildings.

But he said there was concern about the new buildings, walling, access and repercussions on the Unitary Development Plan.

Cllr Palmer said: "The front of the new buildings is not in keeping with the school as regards to the stonework."

He added that when the site was allocated for housing in the UDP it received 128 objections and the site's use was changed.

Cllr Palmer said: "Bradford Council recognised it should not be for housing. They proposed to delete the housing application and we should really respect the UDP."

The scheme is aimed at opening up the Butt Lane area and the park. But it was felt at the meeting that a number of walls in the plan would not achieve that.